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Annual Flowers To Accent Your Gardens And Planters

Colorful Flowers To Create Outside Beauty

Annual flowers are great in planters and as accent plants. There are so many different varieties to choose from and many of these plant specimens are adaptable to a wide range of global planting zones. When I design for my clients, I recommend using these types of flowers in planters and container gardens. Take a look at these pictures of evergreen variegated shrubs. Pictures of variegared evergreen shrubs make a great accent with annual flowers. Both the evergreens and a one year plant work well together. Do a couple of mass plantings in a few gardens throughout your yard. Remember when watering your plants, container flowers will need a little extra water. They tend to dry out quicker. Below are eleven different annual flowers with a brief description of each one. I hope the close up shots will help you see the true color and texture of each plant.

Brazilian Jasmine Mandevilla - is a beautiful vine growing heights of up to ten feet tall. The Mandevilla can take full sun. The flowers will bloom out to four inches. Both of the Mandevillas will grow well in zones nine through eleven, but will survive in zones seven and eight. Usually frost will kill them off but the roots will come back in spring time.

White Mandevilla - has the same features as the Brazilian, growing the same height and width. Both plants bloom in early spring through every fall. Looks stunning on a mailbox or trellis. Both of these plants are found in mild climates around the world.

Coleus - is an annual flower with many different colors. One of the most striking variety is variegated plant. Coleus are used in gardens, containers, hanging plants, and cut arrangements. The plant can grow anywhere from one to three feet and sprawl out to three feet. Can take partial sun but does very well in shade and part shade. Known for an annual in the south, some varieties do well from zone one through eleven. Great indoor plant.

Vinca - Vincas are popular annuals in zones six through eleven. There are various color and Vinca will reach a height of twelve to eighteen inches tall. The width is about three to six inches. There are Vinca Major and Vinca Minor. The Minor is a smaller version. Vinca can take full sun or partial shade. The Minor prefers more shade over sun. Bloom time will vary and can start as early as late winter and continue through early fall. The blooms repeat their cycle.

Portulaca Polka Dot Plant
Portulaca Polka Dot Plant

Portulaca - is a rose like plant that reaches six inches tall and spreads up to a foot. I love the texture of this annual and the many different colors - red, yellow, white, pink, and orange. This plant is known to thrive in hot and dry climates but will do well in zones five through eleven. Great as borders in gardens or in planters.

Polka Dot Plant - has variegated leaves. This plant is great for borders, containers, accenting evergreen shrubs. It does well in the shade and grows ten to eighteen feet high and spreads out twelve to fourteen feet wide. Some varieties will survive down to forty degrees. The Polka Dot plant is considered a warm weather plant and will do well indoors in cooler climates. It is also considered an annual, but will survive in zones seven through eleven in the United States.

Begonia and Small Begonia - are two varieties of this annual flower family. The larger Begonias will grow around ten inches tall and can have two to four blooms on them. They are a warm climate flower and will die out when the first frost arrives. The small Begonia has clusters of tiny flowers. The Begonia comes in a variety of colors. New hybrids are being developed all the time. Great plants to have on decks, and patios during the spring and summer months. Planters For Your Landscape Areas They are also attractive and used a lot for indoor plants.

Garaniums - one of the most popular Geranium is the Hardy Geranium. This annual grows in zones five through nine and can take below freezing temperatures. Most other varieties grow well in zones seven through nine. The Red flower has been a favorite for years. Today more and more growers are developing different specimens with colors of light pink and different shaped leaves. This plant grows about 10 inches tall and has blooms two tho three inches wide. Another great plant for planters, containers and mass planting in flower gardens.

Petunia - so many different colors to choose from. They are hardy in zones seven through ten. When springtime arrives, thousands of trays are made available at nurseries and discount centers. The Petunia makes a colorful addition to any style garden as well as hanging pots on a porch setting. Tiny clusters of flowers remain on the plant through the fall. Mass planting creates a delightful looking garden.

Gazania - This is a short lived flower for warmer climates. Although it will work in zones seven through nine, the Gazania is best known in South Africa and other countries. The daisy looking flower has colors in red, orange, red, vibrant yellow, and a bronze tone. This is a tender perennial in the tropics. The plants will grow twelve to eighteen inches and flower will be two to three inches wide. Even though they don't last long, I think it is a wonderful annual to use through a bed or in a container.

The eleven annual flowers above are just a tip of the ice burg on what is out available today. Most of these plants are inexpensive and will have a growing season of mass color to enhance your evergreen and perennial gardens. Although many of these particular plants grow well in warmer global climates, there are some wonderful varieties of annual flowers for colder regions.